Microsoft
has a long history of accusations that it abuses its dominant
position in the browser and operating system markets. These
allegations have resulted in several investigations into Microsoft in
both America and Europe. One of the more recent investigations
happened last year in Europe and was focused on Internet
Explorer.

Ultimately, antitrust charges were filed against
Microsoft for its practice of bundling IE with Windows in Europe.
Microsoft eventually agreed to offer a ballot box that would allow
Windows users to choose what browser they want to install on their
computer and the charges
in Europe were dropped.

Microsoft VP and Deputy General
Counsel Dave Heiner has posted
to the Microsoft
on the Issuesblog
new information on the browser choice screen for Europe. Heiner
wrote, "Over the next few weeks, Microsoft will begin offering a
“Web browser choice screen” to Internet Explorer users in Europe,
as required by the European Commission. Internal testing of the
choice screen is underway now. We’ll begin a limited roll-out
externally next week, and expect that a full scale roll-out will
begin around March 1, a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. If you are
an Internet Explorer user in Europe, here is what to
expect."

Microsoft will begin testing the choice screen
next week in the UK, Belgium, and France. Anyone in those three
countries that wants to test the choice screen will be able to
download the software update via Windows Update. The phased roll out
of the choice screen across all of Europe will kick off the week of
March 1.

Microsoft reports that the choice screen will be an
automatic download through Windows Update for XP, Vista, and Windows
7. Users will either find that the software is downloaded
automatically or they may be prompted to download and install the
software depending on settings and the version of Windows in use on
the PC.

The choice screen will be shown on all computers
running IE as the default browser. Windows 7 users with IE pinned to
the taskbar will have the browser automatically unpinned. The choice
screen will offer details to users on different browsers and links to
download them in a random order.

“So far we have not seen a single Android device that does not infringe on our patents." -- Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith